Analyte determination, for example analyte detection and/or concentration measurement, in bodily fluid samples (e.g., a whole blood sample) is of increasing importance in today's society. Assays for analyte determination find use in a variety of settings, including clinical laboratories and homes. The results of such assays (also referred to as “tests”) play a prominent role in the diagnosis and management of a variety of medical conditions. Analytes of medical interest include, for example, glucose and cholesterol. In response to the importance of analyte determination, a variety of analyte detection protocols and devices for both clinical and home use have become commercially available.
One type of analyte detection device is an analyte test strip that employs an electrochemical-based method to detect and/or measure the concentration of an analyte, such as glucose, in a bodily fluid sample (e.g., a whole blood sample). During such an electrochemical-based method, a bodily fluid sample is placed into a sample-receiving chamber of an analytical test strip that includes two electrodes, e.g., a counter electrode and working electrode. The analyte is allowed to react with a redox reagent within the sample-receiving chamber to form an oxidizable (or reducible) substance in an amount corresponding to the analyte's concentration. The quantity of the oxidizable (or reducible) substance present is then measured electrochemically and related to the amount of analyte present in the initial bodily fluid sample. Such conventional analyte test strips are described in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,708,247; 5,951,836; 6,241,862; and 6,284,125; each of which is hereby incorporated in full.